Straw-spreader.



W. RANDALL.

STRAW SPREADER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30' 1914.

1,255,052. Patentd Ja11.29, 1918\.

I 5 SHEETS-SHEET 1- W. RANDALL.

STRAW SPREADER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3.0. 1914.

Patented Jan. 29, 1918.

5 SHEETSQSHEET 2.

gwuentozw. Ran ll W. RANDALL.

,S-TRAW SPREADER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30. 19M.

Patented Jan. 29, 191&

5 SHEETSwSHEET 3.

gj-mae-rflfo'z Randall W. RANDALL.

STRAW SPREADER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30.1914.

Patented Jan. 29, 191&

5 SHEETSSHEET 4.

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STRAW SPREADER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30.1914.

Patented Jan. 29, 1918.

5 SHEETS SHEET 5- gwue-nfoz- Ha I? a a WELLINGTON RANDALL, 0FMARYSVILLE, WASHINGTON.

STRAIN-SPREADER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 30. 1914. Serial No. 848,214.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VELLINc'roN Ran- DALL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Marysville, in the county of Snohomish and State ofWashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStraw-Spreaders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as wlll enableothers skilled in the art to whlch it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to agr1cultural rmplements and more particularlyto a devlce for scattering or spreading manure or fertilizer such asstraw, spoiled hay, or the like.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a vehicle bodyconstructed similar to the construction of an ordinary farm wagon, whichhas a plurality of conveyers carried thereby and operable by thetraction of the wagon, for carrying the straw from one end of the wagonbed and depositing it upon a scattering roller, so as to eflicientlyunload the load and scatter the hay or straw over the field.

Another object is to automatically feed the straw from the forward endof the vehicle frame to the rear end of the same from whence it isdeposited upon the spreading roller.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention consistsin'such novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and claimed. I

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designatelike or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and .in which:a

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the im-' boards 1 and 1 and inv thelower ends of proved straw spreader,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the straw spreader,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing parts broken away from the spreader,exposing the side opposite to the one illustrated in Fig. 1 of thedrawings,

Fig. 4 is a central sectional view through the improved straw spreader,

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the mechanism for;1 repositioning the feeder ofthe machine, an

Fig.6 is a sectional view taken on the ver- .ers 5 and 6, andintermediate rollers 5.

The roller 6 is positioned near the front end of the body, and theroller 5 is positioned near the transverse center of the body. A frontconveyerbelt 7 passes about the rollers 5, 5 and 6, and the upper runthereof is provided with a follower 8. The follower 8 rises verticallyfrom the upper run of the conveyer belt 7, and it is moved rearwardlyduring the movement of the conveyer belt in one direction for a purposewhich willbe hereinafter fully set forth. A conveyer. belt 9 is mountedupon end rollers 10 and 11 and intermediate rollers 10 The rollers 10,11 and 10 are journaled on and located between the side boards 1 and 1the rollers extend transversely of the body and are so positioned as tosupport the upper run of the conveyer belt 9 at a point above the upperrun of the conveyer belt 7. The upper run of the conveyer belt 7 isprovided with a plurality of slats or flights 7 and the conveyer belt" 9is provided with a plurality of teeth 46. Secured to the outer sides ofthe side boards 1 and 1 are vertical standards 36. These standards arelocated at the rear end of the body, and journaled in their upper endsis a transverse shaft 39 to which is keyed a roller 37. -A shaft 40 towhich is keyed a roller 38, is journaled in the side the standards 36 ata point below the shaft 39. A belt 35, which is provided with a PatentedJan. 29,1918.

plurality of teeth .46 is mounted upon the rollers 37 and 38.

The conveyer belts 7 and 9 form the bottom, the follower 8 the frontend, and the belt 35 the rear end of the body of the vehicle. The loadof manure or other fertilizer is placed upon the conveyer belts 7 and 9between the follower 8 and the belt35.

A pair of bearing arms 19 are secured to the sides land 1 at the rear ofthe body,

ratchet teeth of the wheel 25.

and the extend downwardly and rear- Wardly rom said end. A shaft 19 isournaled in the bearings of the arms 19, and mounted upon the shaft is aspreader which comprises a drum 31 and a plurallty of fingers or prongs32. The fingers or prongs 32 project radially from the outer surface ofthe drum 31. The spreader 1s driven from one of the rear wheels 4, andto accomplish this, the wheel has secured thereto a sprocket wheel 12which meshes with the under run of a sprocket chain 13. The sprocketchain 13 passes about a sprocket wheel 18 keyed to the shaft 19 andabout an idler sprocket wheel 14 which is journaled upon a shaft 16. Theshaft 16 1s secured to and projects laterally from the outer side of theside 1. The conveyer belt 9 is driven from the shaft 19 by means of aneccentric 20 keyed to the shaft 19, a rod 21 connected at one end to theeccentric strap 21 a lever 22 pivoted at its lower end, as at 22, to theouter side of the side board 1 and connected atits upper end to the freeend of the rod 21, a pawl 23 pivotally connected to the lever 22 and aratchet wheel 25. The ratchet wheel 25 is keyed to the shaft 26 uponwhich the end roller 10 of the conveyer belt 9 is mounted. The free endof the pawl 23 normally engages the This structure is such that a slowintermittent feed or travel is imparted to the conveyer belt 9 duringthe movement of the vehicle and this movement of the conveyer belt 9feeds the fertilizer to the distributer, the distributer spreading thefertilizer overthe field.

' The belt 35 has imparted thereto a slow continuous movementby a pinion41 which meshes, with a pinion 43 keyed to the shaft 40. The pinion 41is journaled on a shaft 42 secured to the inside of the side board 1 andhas secured thereto a sprocket wheel 41 which is operatively connectedby means of a sprocket chain 41 to a sprocket wheel 41 keyed to theshaft 19.

The conveyer belt 7 is adapted to be driven'in two directions, that is,in a clockwise direction and a counter clockwise direction. Themechanism for driving the conveyer belt 7 is under the control of theoperator, and when it is driven in a counter clockwise direction thatportion of the load carried by the upper run of the belt is moved in thedirection of the inner end of the conveyer belt9. The follower 8 isfixed to and moves with the upper run of the conveyer belt 7, and itcauses that portion of the -load' ter clockwise direction. The mechanismby which the conveyer belt 7 may be operated in a counter clockwisedirection comprises a sprocket wheel 50 secured to the other of the rearwheels 4, a shaft 52 journaled at a point body of the vehicle.

aaaaoea below the body of the vehicle, and a sprocket chain 51 whichpasses around the sprocket wheel 50 and around a. sprocket wheel 53keyed to the shaft 52. A gear wheel 53? is journaled upon the shaft 52,and the hub 53 thereof is provided with a clutch face 54. A slidingclutch member 55 is splined to the shaft 52, and it is adapted to bemoved into and out of engagement with the clutch face 54 for locking thegear wheel 53 to the shaft 52 or for releasing the gear wheel 53*. Theclutch member 55 is held normally in engagement with the clutchface 54by an expansive coil spring 56 mounted upon the shaft 52 between theclutch member 55 and a collar 57. The clutch member 55 may be moved outof engagement with the clutch face 54 and held out of engagementtherewith when desired by means of a cable 61. One end of this cable isconnected to a lever, not shown, which is adapted to be mounted upon thebody of the vehicle near the drivers seat, and this lever may beprovided with means to hold it in position to retain the clutch member55 out of engagement with the clutch face 54. The cable 61 passes abouta grooved pulley 61 journaled on the underside of the body of thevehicle, and the other end thereof is secured to one end of a lever 60,which is pivoted at a point between its ends to the underside of the Aforked lever 58 is also pivoted to the underside of the body of thevehicle at a point between its ends, and 'it is provided with a fork forengagement in a groove formed in the outer surface of the clutch member55. The levers 60 and 58 are connected by a link 52. It should be seenthat when a pull is exerted upon the cable 61, the clutch member 55 ismoved out of engagement with the clutch face 54, and that when the cable61 is released, the spring 56 will force the clutch element 55 intoengagement with the clutch face 54. A stub shaft 62 is journaled on theunderside of the body of the vehicle in advance of the shaft 52, and ithas keyed thereto a gear wheel 63. A pair of arms 66 and 67 haveopenings through which the stub shaft 62 passes and are suitablysupported from the underside of the body of the vehicle by means of abracket 64 secured to a cross bar 64. A pair of intermeshing pinions 64and 64 are journaled upon and between the arms 66 and 67. The pinion 64is constantly in mesh with a gear wheel 63, and the pinion 64 isconstantly in mesh with the gear wheel 53. The manner in which the stubshaft 62 is geared up to the rear wheel 4 is such that the stub shaft isdriven in a counter clockwise direction. A shaft 71, Which is suitably journaled on the underside of the body of the vehicle, is driven in acounter clockwise direction from the stub shaft- 62 by means of asprocket chain 69. The

sprocket chain 69 passes about a sprocket wheel 68 keyed to the stubshaft 62 and about a sprocket wheel 70 keyed to the shaft Immediatelyafter this,-the spring 56 forces the clutch member 55 into engagementwith the clutch face 54, locking the gear wheel 53 to the shaft 52. Thegear wheel 53 rotates the pinion 64 and the latter rotates the pinion64. The pinion 64 rotates the shaft 62 through the gear wheel 63. Therotation of the shaft 62 rotates the shaft 71, and the rotation of theshaft 71 drives the conveyer belt 7 in a counter clockwise directionthrough the sprocket chain 72.

The conveyer belt 7 may be driven in a clockwise direction to return thefollower 8 to its normal position after the load of fertilizer has beendistributed by pulling on the flexible member or cable 61 which willmove the clutch member 55 out of engagement with the clutch member 54against the tension of the spring 56. The movement of the clutch member54 will rock the levers 58, 59 and 60 which rocking movement will beimparted to a lever 73", by the arm 73. The lever 73 is connected to aclutch member 79 and it is pivoted as shown at 73 so that the rockingthereof by the outward movement of the clutch member 55 will move theclutch member 79 into engagement with a clutch member 78 which iscarried by a sprocket 73. The sprocket 73 is loosely mounted upon theshaft 52, While the clutch member 79 is feathered thereon so that whenthe clutch members 78 and 79 are in engagement, the sprocket 73 will berotated by the rotation of the shaft. A sprocket chain 7 4 travels aboutthe sprocket 73 and about a sprocket 74 which is keyed to 4 the shaft71, whereby the shaft 71 will be rotated for returning the follower 8 toits normal position at the forward end of the distributer.

In practice, a load of fertilizer is placed upon the upper runs of theconveyer belts 7 and 9 between the follower.8 and the belt 35. Thevehicle is then driven over the field, and the movement of the vehiclerotates the spreader 30 and drives the conveyer belt 9 in a counterclockwise direction. The movement of the vehicle also operates the belt35 in the direction indicated by the arrow A of Fig. 4 of the drawings.That portion of the load of fertilizer carried by the upper run of theconveyer belt 9 is fed to the distributer by the teeth 46, and thatportion of the load engaging the inner vertical run of the belt 35 isfed downwardly by the teeth 46. The teeth on the lower end of the belt-35 also feeds the fertilizer to the distributer 30, and the distributer30 spreads the fertilizer evenly over the field. After that ortion ofthe fertilizer which is supported by the upper run of the conveyer belt9 has been distributed, the clutch member 55 is released so that itsspring 56 will force it into engagement with face 54. As soon as this isdone, the conveyer belt 7 is slowl driven in a counter clockwisedirection, feeding that portion of the load supported by its upper runto the inner end of the conveyer belt 9, and the conveyer belt 9 feedsthe fertilizer to the distributer 30. As the follower 8 is secured toand moves with the upper run of the conveyer belt 7, that portion of theload carried by the upper run of the conveyer belt is caused to followthe movement of the belt. After the entire load has been distributed,the clutch member 55 is drawn out of engagement with the clutch face 54,and the clutch member 79 is forced into engagement with the clutch face79*, resultin in the follower being returned to its norma position atthe front end of the body of the vehicle. The vehicle may be againloaded and the fertilizer distributed.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as delinedin theclaims.

What is claimed is 1. A fertilizer distributer comprising a wheelsupported vehicle body, side boards conveyer belt may be driven in aclockwise or counter clockwise direction.

2. A fertilizer distributer comprising a wheel supported body, sideboards secured to the body, a front conveyer belt located between theside boards, a rear conveyer belt located between the sides, adistributer located at the rear end of the body, a follower carried bythe upper run of the front conveyer belt, means for driving the rearcon-. veyer belt and distributer, and means by which the front conveyerbelt may be driven in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction.

3. A manure spreader, a supporting frame having front and rear tractionwheels, a horizontal conveyer carried by aid frame, a vertical standardsupported by said conveyer, a second horizontal conveyer carried by saidframe and positioned in a slightly higherelevation than said first namedconveyer, means for intermittently operating said second named conveyerby the traction 5 wheels of said supporting frame for gradually feedinga load of straw from said frame, a rotary spreader suspended rearwardlyfrom said supporting frame and 0p- I erated by the traction of saidframe, a er- 10 tical conveyer carried by said supportlng frame andoperable by the traction thereof for the feeding of the straw to saidspreader and means for reversing the direction 0 travel of the firstnamed conveyer.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 15' in presence of twoWitnesses.

WELLINGTON RANDALL. Witnesses:

E. E. Comm, ELoN UTLEY.

